Carriage-body.



Patented Dec. I8, |900. F. MENZER.

CARRIAGE Bonv.

(Application led July 13, 1900.) (N o M o d el.)

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No. 664,090. Patented 060.48. |900.

F. MENzEn.

CARRIAGE 000V.

(Application med July 1s, 1960.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

FREDERICK MENZER, CE ELINT, MICHIGAN.

CARRIAG `E-BO DY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,090, dated December 18, 1900.

Application led July 13, 1900. Serial No. 23,451. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MENZER, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, county of Genesee, State of Michigan, have invented .a certain new and useful Improvement in Carriage-Bodies; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle-bodies and its obj ect is to provide for a simple, convenient, and easy manner of changing from a single to a two seated body and also to accommodate a canopy-top to such change; and it consists in the arrangements and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of the body arranged for a single seat with the canopy thereon. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the body and canopy arranged for a two-seated rig. Fig.A 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the body arranged for one seat. a longitudinal sectional view of the body arranged for two seats. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the body arranged for one seat. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a body arranged for two seats. Fig. 7 is a view from the under side of the arrangement, showing the canopy when changed from a single to a double seated body.

In the drawings, A represents the bod'y proper.

B is a seat which, as hereinafter explained, is shifted from the rear end to nearly the central point of the body or the reverse, as required, it being used as a single-seated vehicle when shifted to the front end, or it is used as the rear end of a double-seated body.

C is a folding seat used in front.

D is one portion of the canopy-top, which is used with the seat B. E is another portion which is used only when the seat C is used and in conjunction with the top D.

The top of the body is constructed in such form that the seat B can be slidably engaged therewith and shifted from the position sh own in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 or the reverse. Itis unnecessary to describe the Fig. 4 isV details of this feature of construction so far as a sliding adjustment is concerned, as they are old and well known, and the exact mode of adjustment is not in itself a feature of this invention, which is not confined to the means whereby the seat is made to slide,as any means permitting the seat to be slidably attached to the body A would be Within this invention.

The seat B may be of the ordinary construction with the exception of means for holding the canopy-top B, as shown. This consists of sockets b b, attached to the back of the seat, and also brackets b', attached to the arm or side of the seat.

With respect to the position of the forward seat C the body A is peculiarly constructed. Two standards a a are rigidly attached to the framework of the body A. The side pieces a are also rigidly attached, one of which is shown in each of Figs. l and 2, and {iaring arm rests or rails a2 are also rigidly attached to the body A. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the standards a, the pieces a', and bows or arm-rests a2 are transversely wider than the length of the seat B, so that the seat B when brought forward, as shown in Fig. l, telescopes between the pieces a and arm-rests a2 and standards a. It is obvious how these pieces can be attached to the body A, and it is sufficient, therefore, to merely say that they are rigidly attached by any convenient means. It is obvious that when the seat B is moved in the position shown in Fig. 2 the parts marked a a a2 remain in position and, in effect, as will hereinafter be seen, form a part or act in conjunction with the seat C when it is in position. The seat C is so constructed that when not in use it may be folded down upon steps F, located in the bottom of the body, and is thus entirely out of the way, the seat B being drawn forward over it. The seat, dac., consists of a framework comprising two side pieces c, one on either side of the body, as shown in au elevated angular position in Fig. 2, and which are hinged at c' to blocks c2, rigidly fastened to the body of the carriage. A framework c3, forming a seatbottom, is pivotally attached to the framework c at c4. The framework c3 may be upholstered with springs in the usual manner, and this framework, as will be observed in Figs. 5 and 6, forms the bot- IOO tom of the seat when in place. Another frame upholstered as may be desired and marked c5 is pivoted to the rear edge of the seat c3 at c6 above the pivot c4, folds forward upon said seat, and when opened upward forms a back to the seat when in place, asin opening it upward the lower edge of this back c5 comes in contact with the rear edge of o3 at c7, which prevents the further rotation and makes the back rigid. It will be observed that this seat c3 thus formed has no arms, but that the fixed elbow rests d2 a2 form the arms to the seat when elevated, as in Fig. 4.

In the body there is permanently attached a Cross-bar a3, upon which rests the front edge of the bottom of the seat c3. A pair of hooks o8 e8 are firmly attached to the bottom of the seat c3, and which engage the cross-bar 0,3 and extend downward in front of said bar and backward under said bar, preventing all backward and upward movements of the seat when in position as in Fig. 4. One or more buttons e9 are also attached to the framework c3, which are adapted to engage with the bar a3, and when so engaged they prevent all forward motion of the seat. The frame c is so hinged to the carriage-body and to the seat C that when said seat is in its raised position the frame c slants backward from the floor upward, so that the weight upon said seat and said frame tends to draw the seat backward and to engage the hook c8 more forciblyagainst the bar a3. The mode of operation of this construction is quite obvious. When not in use, the parts of the seat C are folded down, as shown in Fig. 3. When it is desired to use the seat, they are elevated, rising on the pivots c. The forward edge of the frame or seat-bottom c3 is brought forward far enough to enable the hooks c8 to engage the cross-bar a3, and when they are so engaged the button ci is turned so as to engage the rear of the cross-bar a3, and the rest C is thus firmly held, the front edge being supported by the crossbar and the rear edge by the two supports c c. The back c5 is then lifted up to the position shown in Fig. et and the seat is completed, with back-rest and arm-rests. When in this position, the seat B is simply moved back to the rear end of the body, and it thus forms a two-seated vehicle. When it is desired to change it to a one-seated vehicle, the button o9 is rotated out of contact with the cross-bar a3, the seat slightly moved forward to disengage the hooks, the back folded down, and the seat dropped by the swinging of the supports c backward and downward until they are folded up in small compass in the bottom of the carriage-body. The seat B is then slid forward to take the place of the seat C and the change is completed. In order to adjust a canopy-top to this form of construction, I provide, as already stated, a canopy-top D for the seat B, and which is composed of a top D', supported by four standards cl d d.' d. These enter sockets l) Z) b' b', permanently attached to the back and sides of the seat. The standards d and d are pivoted at their points of conjunction or connection with the top, so that they may be folded up against the top, if desired, and also to allow motion to detach the top from the seat. Its position is shown in Fig. 1 when the single seat is used. When a double seat is used, the canopy top D is supplemented by that of E, which consists of two parts e e', hinged together at c2. Pivotally attached to the part e are two standards c3 e3, which are adapted to engage in permanent sockets ci, permanently attached to the back c5 of the seat C. Upon the part e there are also pivoted two standards eG c, the lower ends of which are bent at right angles at e7 e7, as shown in Fig. 7, and engage eyes es, formed in the top of the standards ct a'.

It is obvious that the canopy-top e and e/ may be attached to the seat C by the attachments just described. The rear edge of that portion e' of the top is connected to D bylugs dl d4 engaging in inortises Z5 (Z5 on the top F and held therein by a button t 3, especially as shown in Fig. 7. This form of construction for the canopy-top I intend to cover in a separate application. It is obvious, therefore, that when in position, as shown in Fig. 2, by turning the button e' can be detached from D', the standards e3 and e can be lifted out of their sockets, and c folded upon e', the standards also folding down. The seat C can be folded as already described and the canopy formed to go with it deposited in the bottom of the carriage -body. The seat B and its canopy may be moved forward to take the position and assume the appearance as shown in Fig. l. The arm-rests a2 a2, combined with the arm of the seat C, are not only wide enough to permit the seat B to telescope between them, but they aord a wide front seat when the seat C is in position, and this is a peculiar advantage obtained by my construction.

When the seat Bis moved forward, the rear portion of the bottom may be covered by a boot in the usual manner by buttons, but which may be detached when the seatis moved to the rear and folded up and placed in any convenient receptacle.

What I claim is-- l. In a vehicle, a body portion, a sliding seat arranged to operate in connection therewith, an auxiliary seat consisting of seat portion and a back portion hinged thereto, double standards supporting the rear portion hinged thereto and to the bottom of the body, a crossbar attached to the body supporting the front of the seat, means upon the seat portion for attaching and detaching the seat portion from the cross-bar, substantially as described.

2. In a vehicle, a body portion provided withstandards a, ct, extending upward from the side thereof at the forward part of that part of the body at which the forward seat is to be located, rails d2, secured to said standard and to the vehicle-body, an auxiliary seat IOO IIO

IIS

adapted to be folded upon the bottom of the carriage, a sliding seat arranged to operate in connection with the vehicle-body, each of said seats being adapted to be placed between said standard and arms, and said standard and arms being adapted to form the arm-rests of the seat placed between them, substantially as described.

3. In a vehicle, a body portion. a cross-bar as, upon said body portion, a folding seat C, said seat being provided with hinged braces c, so located that they shall have a backward slant When the seat is in position, said seat being provided with a hook cs, extending vertically in front of said cross-piece, and bending backward under said cross-piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a vehicle-seat, the combination of the horizontal part c3, moans for supporting the front of said horizontal part, the braces c, hinged to the back and under part of the part c3, and to the vehicle, and a back c5, hinged near the upper surface of the part c, so as to be adapted to fold forward upon the part c3, and to be held in its proper working position by coming into contact with said horizontal part, substantially as described.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a body provided with a cross-piece a3, a seat consisting of a horizontal part c3, the front resting upon said arm-piece, a hook a8, secured to the part c3, extending in front of, and under said cross-piece, a\brace c, hinged to the back of the part c3, and to the body so as to slant backward, and a back c5, hinged at the near edge of the part c3, so as to be adapted to fold over upon said part, and coming into contact with the part c3, substantially as described.

In'testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK MENZER. Witncssesz R. A. PARKER, ELLIOTT J. STODDARD. 

